Everyone Wants to Be Successful
1. The stress on education for success
2. Hopes of parents for successful children
3. Dreams of youth to be successful
What Is Success?
1. It is not financial security.
(MARK 8:36) "FOR WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT A MAN, IF HE SHALL GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD, AND LOSE HIS OWN SOUL?"
2. Fame and popularity are both fleeting.
(1 JOHN 2:17) "AND THE WORLD PASSETH AWAY, AND THE LUST THEREOF: BUT HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF GOD ABIDETH FOR EVER."
3. Success is living in the will of God.
Note: God's Formula for Success
I. Receive the Son of God
A. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart"
1. God's formula for success begins with faith.
a. Trust = faith or "believe"
b. "Trust in the Lord" occurs 152 times in the Old Testament
c. Equivalent to "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ"
2. Success begins with being bom again
(JOHN 3:3-5) "JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HIM, VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO THEE, EXCEPT A MAN BE BORN AGAIN, HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD. {4} NICODEMUS SAITH UNTO HIM, HOW CAN A MAN BE BORN WHEN HE IS OLD? CAN HE ENTER THE SECOND TIME INTO HIS MOTHER'S WOMB, AND BE BORN? {5} JESUS ANSWERED, VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO THEE, EXCEPT A MAN BE BORN OF WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT, HE CANNOT ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD."
a. Nicodemas, though successful, needed salvation
b. He was a religious ruler but was lost
c. Begin at the beginning: receive Jesus now.
(JOHN 1:12) "BUT AS MANY AS RECEIVED HIM, TO THEM GAVE HE POWER TO BECOME THE SONS OF GOD, EVEN TO THEM THAT BELIEVE ON HIS NAME:"
II. Read the Word of God
A. "Lean not to thine own understanding"
1. Human understanding is limited and often faulty
a. Our leaming has not brought key answers to life
b. Can be educated but miss the truth.
(2 TIM 3:7) "EVER LEARNING, AND NEVER ABLE TO COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH."
2. The Bible gives God's view of life
a. It imparts wisdom.
(PSA 119:99) "I HAVE MORE UNDERSTANDING THAN ALL MY TEACHERS: FOR THY TESTIMONIES ARE MY MEDITATION."
b. It gives understanding.
(PSA 119:104) "THROUGH THY PRECEPTS I GET UNDERSTANDING: THEREFORE I HATE EVERY FALSE WAY."
c. It brings light.
(PSA 119:130) "THE ENTRANCE OF THY WORDS GIVETH LIGHT; IT GIVETH UNDERSTANDING UNTO THE SIMPLE."
d. It builds faith.
(ROM 10:17) "SO THEN FAITH COMETH BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD."
3. There can be no success apart from applying God's Word to life
III. Recognize the Hand of God
A . "In all thy ways acknowledge him"
1. God is at work in all events in our lives
a. "All things are of God"
(2 COR 5:18) "AND ALL THINGS ARE OF GOD, WHO HATH RECONCILED US TO HIMSELF BY JESUS CHRIST, AND HATH GIVEN TO US THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION;"
b. "All things work together for good"
(ROM 8:28-29) "AND WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD, TO THEM WHO ARE THE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. {29} FOR WHOM HE DID FOREKNOW, HE ALSO DID PREDESTINATE TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, THAT HE MIGHT BE THE FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN."
2. See God's hand in everything
a. This will remove anxiety and increase joy
b. This will make you a positive praising person
B. Our Part in This Unfailing Success Fonnula
1. We must begin with faith
2. We must make choices in faith
3. We must dare to take steps of faith
C. God's Part: "He Shall Direct Thy Paths"
1. This is successful living
2. Knowing God's will and doing it
3. Having the leading of God every day
4. God will come through!
There are those who would say that this was too simple. There must be more to it. But God made things simple for us. It is as simple as us trusting Him.